The Republican challenger in Ohio's Senate race says changes are needed in Washington to push action on the budget deficit and national debt.

State Treasurer Josh Mandel told a small gathering of supporters Thursday at a downtown Cincinnati hotel that his proposals for term limits, halting congressional pay if a budget hasn't been passed, and stopping pensions for those who become lobbyists after leaving Congress would make politicians from both parties more accountable.

Some recent polls have indicated Mandel is trailing in his bid to unseat first-term Democrat Sherrod Brown.

While Mandel criticizes Brown as "a career politician," the Democrat's campaign portrays Mandel as opportunistic for running for Senate less than two years after his election as treasurer.